Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1887-07-15
The GRIND Arm.

FROM luc Boston journal.
The controversy over the order for the
return Of the Confederate flags and the
protest of the members Of the Grand Army
which has led the President to write a let
ter withdrawing his acceptance " an iuv
tation to visit st. Louis at the time the ma
tional encampment will bee held in that city
have led many persons 10 predict the divis-
ion Of the Grand Army ON political ques
tIons, and it, destruction "a an orgnuiza
tion as the result. Such prediction should
never be permitted to he verified hy the
Grand Army. If its members keep their
objects in view and refuse to be drawn in
to partisan discussions, there can Ice no
danger In regard to the policy Of return
ing the Confederate flags the veterans in
common with other citizens, had a right IL
express their views. II some of them were
emphatic in their utterances. it was because
they were indignant and not because they
were engaged IN an effort u array the or
ganizatlon against the President Their
expressions would have been Just A. indis-
nant if "A Republican President had made
the mistake which Mr. Cleveland made
In regard t. the st. Louis affair. much
hasty speech was made nevertheless. there
can he no doubt that the veterans quite
generally were opposed to the proposition
"
the same time that the Grand Army held
its national meeting in that city. They sus-
pected that the organization would be man
lpulated 10y the Democrats and eX-Confed-
crates to promote the political fortunes If
the President, and to counterfeit the quiet
current opinion that the veterans are hos
tile to the President, not because be is
Depucrat, but because he has in nearly all
Of hundred vetoes of pension bills refer
red 10 those applying for pensions in terms
Of contempt. The veterans, a whole.
favored the dependent pension bill, not be
cause it would help them but because il
would relieve from want many aged and
dependent veterans. They saw the Prcsi-
dent not only veto the measure but ap-
prove the Mexican pension bill, which con
tanned more Objectionable features than the
one he vetoed, and they also knew that he
used the executive influence most zealouslv
TO bring his party in the House to sustain
his veto. These We're the things which the
Grand Army did not like and which led
| them 10 object 10 having their delegates at
St Louis used 10 pay tribute to Mr. Cleve-
| land such as they never paid TO any Of his
predecessors On the part Of the great
body of the members Of the Grand Army,
the question Of Republican or Democrat, in
these controversies. has not entered, and as
| long a. II does not, the organization cannot
be divided into two political factions.
But here let Us remark that those papers
which claim u be the special champions Of
the President will not help him nor break
up that great charitable and patriotic or
! ganization 10y printing such abusive and
| false ISLANDERS ~ the following from the
! New York Evening Post
Fortunately the danger Of serious harm
| from the Grand Army has been removed
10y the exposure which it has thus made of
its character. If it We're universally sup
| posed TO he an association of old soldiers
devoted unseltishly to the public interests,
its weight might be thrown with tremen-
dous force for or against any measure or any
man. But when it seems to be an orgaui-
cation chiefly concerned Ia crtorting itiide
serred offices and pensions for unworthy
members, its Endorsement OF condemnation
is Of little moment